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Scott McMahon has been selected by the Greater Minnesota Partnership (GMNP) Board of Directors to serve as the organization’s executive director, according to a press release.

Created in 2013, GMNP is a nonprofit corporation devoted to advocating for state economic development policies and resources that benefit Greater Minnesota. It has more than 60 members consisting of businesses, chambers of commerce, economic development authorities, colleges and universities, cities and nonprofits from throughout Greater Minnesota.

As executive director, McMahon will help direct GMNP’s efforts to advocate for state policies and programs that foster economic development in Greater Minnesota.

He replaces Dan Dorman, of Albert Lea, who stepped down from the post this year after leading the organization since its inception. During Dorman’s tenure, the GMNP was established as a driving force behind many vital economic development initiatives, including the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program and the Job Training Incentive Program.

“Dan developed the GMNP into one of the leading advocates for businesses and economic growth in Greater Minnesota,” McMahon said. “Now, with the pandemic impacting businesses and budgets across the state, the mission of the GMNP is more important than ever. I look forward to building on the great organization that Dan and our members established.”

A lobbyist with the government relations firm of Flaherty & Hood P.A., McMahon has worked for the GMNP since 2017. In that time, he has taken a strong leadership role in advocating for efforts to address Greater Minnesota’s child care shortage, as well as growing the organization’s membership.

Prior to joining Flaherty & Hood and the GMNP’s government relations team, McMahon spent more than a decade working in higher education, first as director of government relations at the Minnesota Private College Council and then as associate vice president for external affairs at Saint Mary’s University. He holds a master of public policy from the University of Minnesota and a master of nonprofit administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

“We are really fortunate to have Scott already on the team,” said GMNP President and Ely City Councilor Heidi Omerza. “The leadership he has shown in advancing our policy agenda over the past two years and the effort he has made to strengthen the organization’s statewide presence and financial health made the decision about this transition easy and seamless for the board. He is the natural choice to build on the legacy Dan Dorman has built over the past seven years.”